Haley
by RockaBelle
Summary: When Haley's family move away from Seattle to begin a new life in London, Julie's life is turned upside down. But will she be able to learn to pick herself up and move on?
1. Prologue

"Thanks for all you've done  
I've missed you for so long"

I gazed out my window at number 24, Riverview Terrace. There was nothing particularly interesting about this house; the driveway was vacant, the grass outrageously overgrown, the windows blindfolded, yet almost every day I find myself staring at it. The reason? My best friend, Haley Walker, used to reside there. A few months ago, her family decided to depart Seattle and begin a new life in London. Queer as it may sound, it was understandable in their circumstances. But Haley's sudden departure brought solitude and heartache; I faced the consequence of never seeing her again. So it appeared my last resort was to gaze at her forlorn home where Haley and I had created so many memories.

I adored the Walker's home. Whenever you dropped by, even unannounced, the family were most hospitable. Mrs Walker, a natural gossip who was unpretentious and warm-hearted, would always offer me a mug of irresistible hot chocolate or one of her delightful fruit smoothies and lounge with me and Haley in their cosy living-room. We would spend hours freely discussing the events in our lives or watching a series of movies together. Mr Walker was usually working when I visited Haley so I rarely saw him, but on the odd occasion that I've had the opportunity to speak to him, he seemed quite an outgoing, if a little tetchy, man. The last member of the Walker household was Haley's elder sister, Georgia. She came across as being quite timid and quiet, but was just the type of person that would emerge from her shell once she'd become acquainted with someone. It's weird how, now she's gone, I wish that I had spoken to her more frequently. Now she's gone, I wish I could've done more for Haley.


	2. Chapter 1

"_I can't believe you're gone  
You still live in me"_

As I was rummaging through my drawers, emptying the contents and separating them into organised piles of "charity items", "rubbish" and "items for keeping", I found a precious keepsake. My photo album, which contained treasured photographs of my family and friends. I bravely flicked through the album, searching for one particular photo, and succeeded within seconds. It was a picture of two young girls, around the age of eight, posing for the camera by the sea in Alicante, Spain. The tallest girl had flowing, shoulder-length curly chestnut brown hair, dressed in a navy and white spot top with white pedal pushers. She was clutching the shorter girl's hand in a protective manner. This girl wore a blue flower printed dress and a beautiful smile. The attractive girl's blonde hair was tied in a sleek ponytail with a blue flower bobble, matching her dress perfectly. This was Haley.

Continuing through the album, I felt my eyes well up with tears, but I desperately fought them back. There were dozens of photographs of Haley and I together, some with our other friends, some from school excursions, some from parties. I was amazed at the amount; I couldn't recall when the majority of them were taken. However, I knew exactly who had taken these photos. My father. He was a budding photographer and was constantly eager to capture as many unforgettable moments as possible on his prized digital camera. I now appreciated his pictures more than ever; they contained all my cherished memories of Haley. I then realised I had reached the final page in the album, the last photo of Haley and I, and wept.

"Julie! There's someone at the door for you!"

My mother's cry from downstairs roused me from a dreamless sleep. I must've fallen asleep while I took a break from looking at the photographs. Leaping off my bed, I dashed downstairs and met Brianna at the door.

"Hey, I was just wondered if you fancied going for a stroll? Maybe along by the beach?"

I accepted the offer; I figured I'd benefit from a stroll out in the salty air. I needed a respite, if only a temporary one, from those painful memories of Haley that the photographs had refreshed.

Brianna is one of my close friends, she's really loyal and I've appreciated her friendship so much recently. She's a shoulder to cry on and someone who I can trust with my life. The best aspect of her though, is that she's very understanding. I can spill all my feelings without having a doubt that she won't understand why I feel that way. However, she hadn't heard the full story of what happened to Haley and decided it was about time I faced reality and freed myself of the burden I had carried for so long.

It was understandable under the circumstances…


	3. Chapter 2

"I feel you in the wind

"I feel you in the wind  
You guide me constantly"

To be honest, despite Brianna's approachability, I'd found it hard to talk about Haley, to confess the truth. I'd kept my lips sealed. I was too frightened to cry, too frightened to publicly reveal my true emotions. I felt that if I released the news about Haley, I would somehow forget her. As pathetic as it sounds it's how I truly felt. So up to this present day, I'd concealed everything and I knew now was the time to finally break the ice.

As Brianna and I strolled along the pleasant beach, I contemplated revealing the truth. I could feel my eyes brimming with tears and my whole body begin to shake.

"Brianna? Can I tell you something…something about Haley?" my voice was quivering.

Well, that was strength out of the window!

"Only if you want to,"

Then, my emotions became overwhelming and I crashed to the ground in uncontrollable tears. All at once, I was filled with frustration, grief and confusion. Reality had finally taken its toll.

"Why did she leave me, Brianna?" I found myself sobbing.

A sense of comfort rushed through my body as Brianna embraced me.

"She had no choice Julie, she just couldn't stay."

"It's not fair! This world isn't fair!"

I thrashed the sand, my body pumping with fury. The world was a bitter, cruel place that I suddenly despised. This monster had devoured a beloved friendship that I had cherished every day. Now, it seemed pointless. Exhausted after my battle of confronting and combating my emotions, I collapsed into Brianna's arms and let the tears cascade down my cheeks freely.

After several moments of silence aside from the waves crashing in and the shriek of the seagulls, I felt a sense of relief and security. I had finally accepted that Haley was gone and that I can't pause, rewind and replay those moments with her ever again.

"Shall we go home?"

I nodded, confident that I had unleashed all my troubles and released myself from those chains of sorrow and solitude. However, when night settled it, I realised it was far from over.


End file.
